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NBPA Releases Statement On Bird Rights Issues

May 15th, 2012 at 10:20pm CST by Daniel Seco

Billy Hunter, the executive director of the NBA players' association, released a statement this evening addressing free agency issues involving J.J. Hickson, Chauncey Billups, Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak, reports USA Today's J. Michael Falgoust (via Twitter). All four players are hoping that an arbitrator will allow them to keep valuable rights as they hit free agency this summer.

“Bird and Early Bird rights are among the most valuable rights that players have by a player to select a team through free agency. We will ask the arbitrator to resolve this dispute on an expedited basis and prior to the commencement of free agency." 

By allowing these players Bird and Early Bird rights, teams will be able to go above the salary cap to retain their own players. This directly impacts the Trail Blazers (Hickson), Clippers (Billups) and Knicks (Lin and Novak). Hoops Rumors writer Chuck Myron broke down the situation in great detail earlier this week.

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Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Pietrus, Deron Williams

May 14th, 2012 at 7:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

As two Atlantic Division teams go at it tonight in Game 2 of the Celtics-Sixers series, let's check on what's happening off the court:

  • The Knicks stand to gain if the union prevails on its contention that players claimed off waivers may retain their Bird Rights, but only by so much. If the arbitrator rules in favor of the union, that could allow the Knicks to re-sign Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak while using the mid-level exception on another player. Yet, as Howard Beck of The New York Times points out, the team would have only the smaller taxpayer mid-level exception if retaining Novak and Lin, along with their other free agents, pushes them above the $74MM luxury tax apron. Currently, the team has approximately $58.7MM guaranteed to players next season, with seven free agents and two players on non-guaranteed deals (All Twitter links).
  • Mickael Pietrus, a free agent after the season, will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this summer, and hinted that he may re-sign with the Celtics, according to Jackie MacMullan and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Pietrus underwent the same procedure on the knee during this past offseason.  
  • At the bottom of this piece by Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, Nets shooting guard Anthony Morrow offers a glimpse into the mind of top free agent target Deron Williams. Among other things, Morrow says that Williams "really likes Brooklyn," and loves the team and his teammates.  
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Union Seeks Ruling On Bird Rights, Waiver Claims

May 14th, 2012 at 5:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

The player's union is challenging the NBA's declaration earlier this year that players who are claimed off waivers lose their Bird rights, Howard Beck of The New York Times reports. The union is seeking an arbitrator's ruling by July 1, which would have significant impact for several free agents and their teams.

If the union is successful with their challenge, it will be easier for many of the teams who claimed players off waivers this year to re-sign their players. The most prominent examples are the Knicks with Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak, the Clippers and Chauncey Billups, and the Blazers and J.J. Hickson. All of those players were claimed off waivers this season and are at the end of their contracts. If the union's challenge is successful, the teams will be allowed to retain those players using either Early Bird, in the case of Lin and Novak, or full Bird rights, as with Billups and Hickson. There were an unusually high number of players claimed off waivers this year, but the other four players on that list were either waived for a second time this season without being claimed, or have contracts in place for next year.

The league clarified its interpretation of the rule earlier this year, shortly after Lin became a sensation for the Knicks. It cited a clause in the collective bargaining agreement that said players lose their Bird rights when they're waived, regardless of whether a team claims them. The union contends that because everything else about a player's contract remains intact if he's claimed off waivers, the Bird rights should remain as well. Bird rights are tied to the number of years a player spends with a team. He must have finished at least two seasons with a team to have Early Bird rights and three for full Bird rights. Beck says that the union's case also compares a waiver transfer to a trade, arguing that because Bird rights are retained in trades, when players are sent to another team against their will, the same should be true when they're waived and claimed, also against their will.

The union and the league must select an arbitrator before the matter can proceed. Since, as Beck writes, much of the union's case centers around the spirit of the law, and the league is going off specific language in the CBA, it seems unlikely the arbitrator will rule in the union's favor. Still, it will be interesting to see how the pending case will affect teams as they prepare for the draft, which takes place three days before the date by which the arbitrator has been asked to rule. 

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Amick On Woodson, Smith, Fields, Lin, Amare

May 10th, 2012 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

After being bounced by the Heat in five games, the Knicks' offseason is now underway.  The club will have a lot of important decisions to make in the coming months, and Sam Amick of SportsIllustrated.com has the goods on what might be in the club's immediate future..

  • Even though Mike Woodson shot down a report that he has had extension talks with the Knicks, a source close to the situation said that the coach has been telling people that he has had preliminary discussions with team officials about his return.  Although anything can happen when it comes to the Knicks, the signs are strong that the Knicks will keep their coach rather than chase big names such as Phil Jackson or John Calipari.
  • Retaining Woodson would help the Knicks in their effort to retain J.R. Smith.  The guard will likely turn down his $2.5MM option for next season.
  • Jeremy Lin's return seems like a foregone conclusion at this point as the Knicks can use their mid-level exception to match any offer.  However, that could have a ripple effect on the rest of the club's roster.  If the Knicks use the exception on Lin, they wouldn't be able to go $4MM above the luxury-tax threshold.  Interested parties and CBA expert Larry Coon have indicated to Amick that Landry Fields would be on the outside-looking-in while retaining Steve Novak would also be a challenge.
  • Can the Knicks move Amare Stoudemire this summer?  One Western Conference exec said, "I can't think of anyone who has less trade value."  The internal sentiment, according to one source close to the situation, is that this group can get it done with a core of Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Tyson Chandler with a three-year window to make a title push.
  • Even though Anthony and Stoudemire didn't play particularly well with Lin this season, the Knicks' front office is more focused on making it work than they are on considering any major changes, according to sources close to the situation.
  • The Knicks were among the teams that asked the Hornets about Chris Paul before he was traded to the Clippers in December, according to sources.
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Knicks Rumors: Nash, Lin, Fields, Novak

May 10th, 2012 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

Following New York's Game Five loss in Miami last night, we rounded up a few Knicks-related notes, but the news and rumors keep coming. Here's the latest as the Knicks prepare for an eventful offseason:

  • Amare Stoudemire would love to play alongside former Suns teammate Steve Nash in the Big Apple next year, as he told Frank Isola and Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News. "Everyone knows that Steve loves New York and that New York loves Steve," Stoudemire said. "I love Steve. It would be great to have him here next year."
  • It's long been rumored that the Suns will offer Nash a two-year, $20MM deal, but Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld believes the point guard will leave money on the table to join a contender (Twitter link). The above-linked Daily News report suggests that if if Nash were to sign for the veteran minimum, he'd only go to a title contender. I'm not sure why he'd have to settle for the minimum though, no matter where he signed.
  • Jeremy Lin endorsed Knicks coach Mike Woodson, and told Marc Berman of the New York Post he'd like to remain in New York. According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, as many as six teams could be preparing to make a run at Lin, though as I explained yesterday, the Gilbert Arenas provision will allow the Knicks to match any offers.
  • Landry Fields and Steve Novak were among the other Knicks free agents to express their desire to return next season. Fields told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com he'd "love" to be back, while Novak said there's no place he'd rather play, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. I think Fields will be re-signed, but the team may not have the financial flexibility to hang on to Novak.
  • Despite their early exit from this year's postseason, the Knicks are on the right track, says Tom Ziller of SBNation.com. Stoudemire also sees better days ahead for the team, as George Willis of the New York Post writes.
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Knicks Notes: Stoudemire, Carmelo, Novak

May 5th, 2012 at 9:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Knicks look to avoid being swept in their second straight postseason appearance as they take on the Heat tomorrow in Game Four. The last time the team facing elimination was able to produce a three-game winning streak in a New York-Miami playoff series was in 1997, when the Heat were able to overcome a 3-1 deficit to advance to the Conference Finals. While the chances of such a comeback by New York are quite improbable, the team will certainly be playing under that premise going into tomorrow's matinee matchup. Here's what else we've heard out of the Big Apple:

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Money Time: Upcoming Free Agents In The Playoffs

May 5th, 2012 at 4:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

This is the time of year reputations are made in the NBA. A breakout performance or a disappointment at playoff time can change how teams view some of their most important players. The stakes are even higher for players about to head into free agency, since this is their last chance to make an on-court impression before they sign a contract.

With that in mind and a week of playoff action in the books, let's take a look at some upcoming free agents who've played particularly well, and some who've played especially poorly:

Winners

Nick Young, Clippers: He's always been capable of heating it up, and in his first playoff appearance since his rookie season, he hasn't shrunk from the spotlight. He canned three straight treys in the Clippers' amazing 27-point comeback in Game 1, and is the team's third leading postseason scorer at 15.0 PPG on 10 of 16 shooting so far.

Spencer Hawes, Sixers: When he wasn't in the starting lineup for Game 1, it looked like Hawes would have little opportunity to showcase his abilities, and the outlook was pretty grim when coach Doug Collins got visibly upset with Hawes when he got in foul trouble in Game 2. But as a starter in a Game 3 victory for the Sixers, he went for 21 points and nine rebounds in more than 32 minutes on the floor, and was a go-to option down the stretch.

JaVale McGee, Nuggets (restricted): It looked like he was adding to his lengthy personal blooper reel during an 0-for-6 playoff debut in Game 1. It's easy to get carried away with his 16-point, 15-rebound performance from Game 3, but it's a sign of the potential that makes the 7-footer a commodity. Plus, he had nine rebounds in 24 minutes in Game 2.

Losers

Ryan Anderson, Magic (restricted): He might have won the Most Improved Player of the Year award this week, but his performance in the playoffs has fueled speculation that his regular season play was a product of having a dominant center like Dwight Howard around. He's just 10-for-31 from the field, and has averaged 8.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG. He went to the bench early in the fourth quarter during today's Game 4 against the Pacers, and the Magic rallied from 19 down to force overtime without him.

Steve Novak, Knicks: He's played 67 minutes over three games, but the Heat's defense has only allowed him to shoot seven three-pointers the entire series. Novak has proven he's deadly when he gets the chance to fire away, but he's of little value if he can't get a shot off.

Josh Howard, Jazz: You could excuse him here, since he just came back from knee surgery that originally looked like it would end his season, but he's shot just 3-for-13 and averaged 5.0 PPG as the Jazz have struggled mightily against the Spurs.

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Knicks Notes: Jackson, Carmelo, Injuries, Novak

May 4th, 2012 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

When I asked Hoops Rumors readers earlier this week whether the Heat would finish off the Knicks in four games, over 64% of poll respondents predicted a sweep. Last night, Miami took another step toward sending New York home early, handing the Knicks their 13th consecutive postseason loss. Let's catch up on the latest out of New York, where the situation looks bleak for the hometown team:

  • Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports believes the best move the Knicks could make this offseason involves luring Phil Jackson to New York. With no salary limitations in play, the Knicks should offer three years and $40MM+, says Wojnarowski. The Yahoo! scribe adds that the Zen Master "isn't enthralled" with the Knicks' roster, though that doesn't necessarily mean he'd rule out the job.
  • Carmelo Anthony's performance in this series will rekindle discussion about whether the Knicks can win a championship with 'Melo leading the way, writes George Willis of the New York Post.
  • Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire don't look like good bets to return for Game Four on Sunday. Lin says he's still too sore and not in good enough condition for game action, while Mike Woodson downplayed the likelihood of Amare being ready.
  • Steve Novak, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has failed to impress in the playoffs, as Mark Hale of the New York Post writes. After going scoreless in Game Three, Novak has just nine points in the series, and his free agent stock could be taking a hit.
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Odds & Ends: Odom, Novak, Lottery, Sessions

May 3rd, 2012 at 9:57pm CST by Michael Pina

Bob Young from AZCentral.com thinks the Suns should take a long, hard look at signing Lamar Odom this offseason. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has a ton to prove coming off a terrible experiment with the Mavericks. 

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Atlantic Notes: Lottery, Knicks, Novak, Davis, Nets

April 26th, 2012 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

Typically, a matchup between a pair of 22-43 clubs doesn't make for appointment viewing, but fans of the Nets and Raptors will be watching the last game of the season with interest tonight. Of course, most of those fans will be rooting for a loss. With lottery positioning at stake, the loser of tonight's game could climb as high as third in the lottery standings, while the winner could "fall" as low as eighth. Here are Hoops Rumors' lottery standings as we head into the regular season's final evening, and here's the latest out of the Atlantic:

  • Glen Grunwald, the Knicks' new permanent GM, gave interim coach Mike Woodson a ringing endorsment yesterday and appears to be leaning toward bringing Woodson back next season, says Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Glunwald didn't want to specifically address staffing decisions, but said Woodson has done a fantastic job: "I can't give him enough credit for the job he's done. Normally, coaching changes don't result in such a dramatic improvement in the team performance, so I think that speaks very well of him."
  • Steve Novak seems to have found his niche with the Knicks this season, but Steve Kerr always wanted to bring Novak to Phoenix when he worked in the Suns' front office. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
  • Ed Davis is expected to see a lot of playing time in the Summer League this year. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun says the Raptors will use the opportunity to get a better of idea of whether Davis is part of the team's long-term plans.
  • Rich Calder and Tim Bontemps of the New York Post report that the alleged Brooklyn Nets logo that leaked yesterday is indeed the real deal.
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